Readers sound off on Bill de Blasio, race and the Mets

Get with the program, Mr. Mayor

Brooklyn: Once again, Bill de Blasio shows us why he is incompetent and does not deserve to be mayor of this city. At a memorial event for the eight victims of last year’s West Side highway mass homicide, de Blasio thanked by name multiple elected officials but he didn’t bother to read out the names of those killed or anything specific about them other than stating a very dismissive comment noting the “eight good lives lost.” His spokesperson said that he missed their names because they were not “on the program.” De Blasio has been mayor for nearly five years now, and has been in elected office since 2002. Any competent leader, out of respect, would have remembered to include their names regardless of what “the program” had stated. When the time comes to vote for de Blasio’s next political endeavor, voters should in turn forget to vote for him, even if his name is part of the ballot. Robert T. Mruczek

No class NYCLASS

Little Egg Harbor, N.J.: It is truly upsetting to see that the Daily News is printing letters standing by NYCLASS in order to put the horse-drawn carriage people out of business. Notwithstanding that NYCLASS is a politically dedicated PAC with the real estate predators support trying to get the properties that the stables now inhabit. Mayor de Blasio was bought out by their contributions to his political future. Those horse owners are sitting out in the elements withstanding the same conditions as their animals. Why is it that we are told that only the horses are suffering the weather conditions and not the people working with them? I am a member of Greenpeace, Save the Wild Horses and at least a dozen more animal rescue groups. I quit PETA because they went against those well-cared-for horses in Central Park. Stop pandering with the hypocrites that know nothing about horses or any other animal. NYCLASS keeps having their people write to you in order to wear away at the truth behind their objective which is the real estate worth billions. Rose S. Wilson

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Racial blindness

River Edge, N.J.: Carron Phillips’ Oct. 31 column was nauseating and biased (“To better understand white privilege just look at Kyle Lauletta and the QB mess of the Buffalo Bills”). It reminded me why we still have racial tension in this country. Writers like him looking for the racial angle in every story and situation just compound the issue. The kid was arrested! What more do you want? So he didn’t get beaten. Is that what you wanted? I wonder how many African-American football players who have played for the Giants and Jets over the last three or four years have been pulled over for traffic infractions or worse and were treated fairly by the police. From the way this column reads, plenty were probably pulled over just for the color of their skin. My guess there were plenty who got off the hook because they were professional football players. And then of course there was LT. I rest my case! As far as Kaepernick not playing: No one ever mentions that he opted out of his contract, leaving millions on the table. Jerry DeTitta

Misplaced focus

North Yonkers: Carron J. Phillips constantly writes columns about white privilege. He brought up Colin Kaepernick, whom he feels is a victim a white privilege. Guys like him will never write about black-on-black crime in major cities in this country where young children are being slaughtered. Where are his articles and columns about these situations? Apparently black children aren’t his concern. Michael Guerin

Red-faced whites

Danbury, Conn.: Voicer Jake Kilkenny calls Carron Phillips a racist and I agree because Phillips views most things through the prism of color. But, please, Mr. Kilkenny. Have you looked in the mirror lately? You not only embarrassed yourself but you also embarrassed all Caucasians. Bob Bergin

When Irish weren’t white

Brooklyn: Regarding Voicer Jake Kilkenny’s letter on racism, I agree with his sentiment regarding racism, especially in this Trump-inspired time. However, as far as his statement that as a white man he’d be welcome anywhere at anytime, with a name like Kilkenny may I remind him of the signs on businesses and apartments “NO IRISH NEED APPLY”? It wasn’t always this easy on the Irish here in New York. Ellen Birmingham Massaro

Green base

Green Brook, N.J.: While I agree with Voicer David Hoffman’s assertions about the NFL owners, I think he needs to take it a step further. The NFL owners, like our President, are playing to their racist base. If it were not for the racist base, Kaepernick would be playing now, because if there is one color the owners like almost as much as white, it’s green. Neil Friedman

Crazy ‘bout the guy

San Francisco: Some say that many suffer from Trump Derangement Syndrome. I believe this is true — most people do think that Trump is deranged. Jimmy Layton

Air invasion

Howard Beach: Don’t be surprised if organizers start to put migrants on planes (lots of planes) and fly them to as many U.S. airports as possible. Dump fuel as they approach the airport with just enough to be safe and land so they can’t be turned back. Now you are on U.S. soil all over the country and you saved time and money and avoided mass conflicts at the border. Of course, the optics may not be as sensational as a mass crossing, but think about the chaos it will cause across the country. Paul DeTiberiis

Quality control

St. Albans: Donald Trump states that Stacey Abrams is not qualified to become Georgia’s next governor. Trump’s reasoning is obvious — 1) she is black; 2) she is a woman; 3) she is smarter than him. He has no qualifications whatsoever. Rex Tillerson was correct; Trump is a moron. Tenley M. Franklin

Colorful costumes

Monroe, N.J.: I saw a picture in the paper of The Weeknd in a Beetlejuice costume, full white face. No outrage? A few white women dress as Diana Ross and Beyoncé, with darkened skin, and they get fired from their jobs and face the fire for doing so. This PC culture sucks. Get a grip, people. John Ray

History lesson

Bayonne: In his column covering the Mets’ introduction of new general manager Brodie Van Wegenen, Wallace Matthews drew a lame analogy, describing Van Wegenen’s professed determination to pursue greatness for the Mets “like General MacArthur preparing to storm the beaches of Bataan” (“Only the Mets could come up with a hire like Brodie Van Wagenen,” Oct. 31) Huh? Somebody please advise Matthews and editors that MacArthur never stormed the beaches of Bataan. Indeed the only thing MacArthur ever did at Bataan was to retreat to the island of Corregidor, from which he eventually fled in a P.T. boat to Australia, pursuant to an order from President Roosevelt to prevent his capture by the Japanese. MacArthur’s much-ballyhooed return to the Philippines two and a half years later occurred at Leyte Island, where he famously waded ashore with his staff at a secured beachhead as part of a staged photo op. John Convery